Korkoro-Movie Review *** 04/08/2012
Posted by Films to consider in Based on true events, César Awards, French language film, Montréal World Film Festival, World War II.Tags: film, tony gatlif
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Korkoro (French) 2009 ***
Freedom
Based on true events
Directed by Tony Gatlif
Starring Marc Lavoine, Marie Josée-Croze, James Thiérrée, Mathias Laliberté
WINNER, Grand Prix des Amériques (Gatlif); Prize of the Ecumenical Jury-Special Mention (Gatlif); Public Award (Gatlif), Montréal World Film Festival
NOMINATED, Best Music for Film, César Awards
As a family of Gypsies travels through the countryside of France during World War, they are followed by Claude (Laliberté), a little boy orphaned during the war. Claude is eventually welcomed into the closeknit family, who, with the help of sympathetic locals, must constantly avoid capture by the Nazis.
James Thiérrée, who plays Félix Lavil dit Taloche in the film, is variously described as an acrobat, clown, poet, and magician. Thiérrée did most of his own stunts and improvised many scenes. He captures the free and joyous spirit of the Romani people, and, despite the serious subject matter, this film has much humor and light moments. Also watch (at least) one of Thiérrée’s other spellbinding performances on YouTube.
With Korkoro, director Gatlif has taken on a seldom-addressed group that was slated for the extermination camps; some say it is the first such film treatment. Inspired by true events, Gatlif intended the work to be a documentary but lacked sufficient supporting evidence and decided to release it as a feature film instead.
Highly recommended.
111 min. Not rated. Suitable for older children.
FILMS TO CONSIDER 
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